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Monday, December 03, 2012

It's Monday! Maintaining the Reading Mojo...

Oh my HEAVENS. Have I mentioned that it's the end of the semester and I'm UP TO MY ARMPITS in paper grading? Seriously, people. I always get to this point in the semester, wonder where all the time went, and starting pulling my hair out by the handful over research papers and final projects. I always say it'll be the death of me, but it never is. It just means more days at Starbucks, camped out with a Pike Place roast and earbuds.

I'm taking a quick break to check in on the blog and update you on my reading. It's been a little spotty overall, what with all the going and running and grading and holiday madness. However, I am trying my bestest to keep reading SOMETHING at all times.

I'm still slogging through The Count of Monte Cristofor the Estella Society Readalong (#countRAL). I say slogging because I'm on a slow part and I cannot wait for this bit to be over. Done. Gone. Vamoose! When I'm not stuck in a slogworthy chapter, I really enjoy the book. But wow, Dumas, how about that wordiness??? And y'all think Dickens is bad. Puhlease!

I also had to abandon my latest read for the Girls Night Out Book Club. Saddies! My Nook underwent a software update and now I can't open any of the epub format e-books I've downloaded from outside B&N (Kobo, Google Books). I'm almost certain there's a fix in Adobe Digital Editions, but I need to carve out the time to do the fixin'. The book we were reading is I'm Down: A Memoir by Mishna Wolff. Isn't that cover just the end-all, be-all of weird/awesomeness?!

In short, Wolff's family is white, but her dad acts black after the neighborhood where they live changes around the family. All the stereotypes = achieved. It's really an interesting book -- especially from the point-of-view of Mishna as a child trying to navigate various cultural stereotypes between her home neighborhood and a predominantly white and privileged private school. The reviews in my book club were mixed, but it made for good discussion. I would like to finish it if I can get it up and running again.

Because I haven't been making much progress with all the technical issues and the overwhelmingly long books, I decided to pick up a couple of shorties to keep my enthusiasm from flagging.

Nine Horses, by Billy Collins, is a book of poetry I first read many years ago. I always love Collins for the quiet dignity in his poetry and the humor. While this book can't hold a candle to my favorite, Sailing Alone Around the Room, it was nice to revisit it. I found a few gems I'd forgotten.

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, vol. 2 is an exception to my rule. I accepted it for review from the publisher because I enjoyed the first Tiny volume so much. Expect a review of this one later in the week.

I have so many new books in my house, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with where to go next! I'm leaning toward The Knife of Never Letting Goor Girl of Nightmares. Both are YA that should move along at a good clip and keep me enthused.

What are you reading? Are the holidays and other obligations stalling your reading progress?